Hearing a random series of clicks
in miy kitchen, I investigate to find
an energetic brown bird with red
markings on its wings and tail,
a female cardinal, sidelling along
the outside windowsill, every
now-and-then attempting to fly
into one of the closed windows,
beak banging. Not put off, she
tenaciously repeats this effort
over and over, day after day,
summer and winter. Once, her
scarlet mate briefly joined her
on the ledge, but flew away
as soon as he saw her fail even
once to fly through the glass.
I speculate that perhaps she sees
(but does not recognize) her own
reflection, perceiving it as an
intruder into her territory. Or,
maybe she sees a space she
wants to explore, unable to
understand the glass barrier.
Famously aggressive, heretofore
whatever she could see was open
to her world. Now, her beak
merely bangs against a wall she
can see beyond but cannot
penetrate. This anomaly is
beyond the cardinal's understanding.
Repeated attempts to fly through
the window are doomed. But,
she cannot resist trying.
first published in Illinois State Poetry Society
also published in Fine Lines website
also published in Highland Park Poetry Muse's Gallery Online
©2016 Bonnie Manion